I only mention that Joan was wearing heels because she has a style that is so different from mine, and because I’m having fun with it. You see she’s a bit of a dresser, turned one whole bedroom into a closet filled with dresses and shoes for the Henley Royal Regatta, golfing, hosting dinners, eating out, trips across the Channel to Paris, trips to Dubai. I, on the other hand, wear clothes from the Gap, yoga tanks and pants and flip flops and prefer hiking the hills and spur of the moment outings. She was right, I have become a California girl.

We hugged long and hard then the three of us hurried into her pub-house; a fire blazed in the lounge. Three hours later after a bottle of champagne along with one of red wine, we were doubling over and crying with laughter, remembering old school mates, all the crazy things we did. Now here’s the amazing thing, I don’t remember ever feeling this free in their company in the old days, as unguarded. Whatever reservations I’d had disappeared just like that. I don’t know how they felt but to me it was a victory; I no longer felt like I had anything to lose. Maybe I’d learned something after all these years.

(The photo above is of Donna and Joan in her bed on their computers accessing Facebook and their Nkana friends. The photo below of is of me and Donna–only I’m posting my A to Z Blogging Challenge–God Bless ’em, they were so understanding!)